mr. president, how much longer can this shutdown last? >> we need border security. we will have border security. tremendous republican support. and i think we're going to win. listen, we need border security. very simple. >> how long do you think the shutdown will last? >> whatever it takes. >> leader schumer and speaker pelosi are saying this is a manufactured crisis. they are basically accusing you of lying about the boarder. >> what you should do is take a look at last night and see the results this morning. the people know we need border security. thank you very much.

>> heads up. >> mr. president, mr. president, mr. president, are you worried about republican defection? >> i would say that we have a very, very unified party. mitch has been fantastic. everybody in the room was fantastic. there was no reason for me even to be there. i knew that before we left. but the republicans want border security. they want national security. they want to have a steel barrier or a wall of concrete, they don't care, i will use any term they want, we need a barrier, to stop the human traffickers, and the drug trade, and to stop all of the big problems that come, including gangs, they don't come through your checkpoints, they come through areas where you are hundreds of miles without walls and without barriers, or without strong fences, so the republican party, i can say, and i just

left an hour meeting, we had a great time, actually, there was no discussion about anything other than solidarity. we want national security. and border security. for our country. >> mr. president, mr. president -- >> let me just add, mr. president, first of all, thanks for coming outs and i think the president accurately characterized the president, we are all behind the president, we think border security is extremely important for the country. we appreciate it. >> thank you very much. >> mr. president, mr. president, why not declare a national emergency? >> i play do that at some point. if chuck and nancy, who are meeting i believe in a little while, if they don't agree to the fact that our country is really got problems with crime, with drugs, with a lot of other things that come through our southern border, so much of it comes through the southern border, you look at heroin, 90% through the southern border, so much, so many problems, and if

they can't get that through, or if they feel that politically, i don't know why it is good politically, i don't care politically, i'm doing what is right for the country, but i'm telling you it is a very bad political issue for the democrats, that, i can tell you. >> mr. president, did any republicans today in that meeting tell you that they want you to pursue a different strategy, that they want you to reopen the government? >> we talked about strategy, a couple, a couple talked about strategy, a couple, talked about strategy, but they're with us all the way. they're with us. >> mr. president, mr. president -- >> i would just like to, with the fake news, i just want to tell you, the republicans are totally unified. now, if you were to ask the same question to the democrats, you let me know in some of those districts where i won, or that are a little bit more towards sanity, you want them to run, say we don't need border security, you have a lot of

democrats who don't want to be in this battle, you have a lot of democrat, the republicans are unified, we want border security, we want safety for our country, and you know, for 25 years, they've been trying to do this. this has been passed. chuck schumer has raised his hand so many different times, chi give you 15 speeches, i could give you 15 speeches that he made, though i don't think you would enjoy them that much, i could give you 15 speeches that he talked about border security, no different than me, border security. else th that's all he talked about is border security, the only reason they're against it is because i won the presidency and they think they can try and hurt us going into the presidency, but that's not going to happen. and we don't give up. because we are doing, we are doing the right thing for our country. okay? >> mr. president, if illegal immigration at the border has gone down why, is it -- >> you know why it's gone down? because of good management. because of me. and my people. because we have managed it well. >> but then why is it a crisis?

>> it is brutal. we have more people coming up, you have caravans, nobody ever heard of a caravan, it's gone down and we have kept it down because we're managing it well, but we can never do a great job, unless we have a wall, or a barrier, and i mean a real barrier, not is a little barrier that doesn't work. and if you don't have that, but it is only down because we do a great job and we work very hard at it and i have incredible people, border patrol people, i.c.e., the military has helped, i calmed out the military, we needed help, and that's why it has gone down. thank you, everybody.

today is the 19th day of the government shutdown. both the house and senate are in session. the thousand is beginning consideration of four bills that would seek to open the parts of the government that remain shut down. the senate is not expected to take up any of the four measures. president trump is traveling to capitol hill today to meet with senate republicans. while democrats are expected back at the white house this afternoon for more negotiations. and we'll continue to update the story as events warrant. we have more live programming coming up today with remarks from billionaire philanthropist tom steyer, he is holding a press conference in des moines iowa regarding his political plans. you can see live coverage of that at 4:30 eastern here on c-span 3. the congressional hispanic caucus institute has a swearing

in ceremony for newly elected hispanic members of congress, and expected participants are nancy pelosi and senate minority leader cluck schumer. live coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span 3. coming up, this weekend, on book tv, saturday, at 6:45 p.m. eastern, california democratic senator kamala harris details her life and career through her book "the truths we hold," an american journey. at 11:00 p.m. eastern, actor os guinness, talks about his latest book "last call for liberty." and then on sunday, on afterwards, at 9:00 p.m. eastern, journalist nalikqua allen talks about "it was all a dream," the broken promise to black america. she is interviewed by the root editor in chief danielle veldman. watch book tv this weekend on c-span 2.

texas sent nine new members to congress in the 2018 elections including four democrats. colin allred represents the state's 32nd district, a former linebacker for the tennessee titans and left the nfl for law school after which he worked as an attorney in the obama administration's department of housing and urban development, then later in private practice. voters in the 16th district elected veronica escobar, she previously has been elected el paso county commissioner, and county judge. earlier in her career, congresswoman escobar taught english at the university of texas at el paso, as well as chacano literature at the community college, she is one of the two latina congresswoman elected by texas voters. the other is sylvia garcia, who represents the 29th district. she previously served in the state senate. before that, she held a number of elect and appointed positions, including terms on the harris county commission, and as houston's city

controller. finally voters from the seventh direct sent attorney lizzy fletcher to the house. this is the first time the seventh has elected a democrat since it was cons tutded in 1967, on the west side of houston. the first member to hold the seat was future president george h.w. bush. new congress, new leaders. watch it all on c-span. and now, a panel discussion on the role islam plays when muslim countries consider their foreign policy, the brookings institution hosts this event, which features several middle east experts. it's just over 90 minutes. >> good morning. and thank you so much for joining us on this balmy